Matters of Betrothal
by bean21
Summary: But if you promise not to forget me until we meet again, I promise not to forget you. And this shall be my pledge.


Matters of Betrothal

"_Why, what's this?" Eilonwy cried suddenly. "The sea has given us a present!"_

_She knelt and from the foaming surf drew a battered object and stripped away the trailing seaweed. Taran saw an ancient battle horn, bound in silver with a silver mouthpiece._

_Eilonwy turned it over in her hands and looked carefully at it. She smiled sadly. "It's all that's left of Caer Colur. What use it might be, I don't know and never shall. But if you promise not to forget me until we meet again, I promise not to forget you. And this shall be my pledge."_

"_I promise gladly," Taran said. He hesitated. "But what pledge have I to give you? I have none, other than my word."_

"_The word of an Assistant Pig-Keeper?" said Eilonwy. "That shall do very well indeed. Here, take it. Giving gifts is much nicer than saying farewell."_

"_And yet," Taran answered, "we must say farewell. You know that King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria mean to betroth you to Prince Rhun." _

"_Indeed!" exclaimed Eilonwy. "Well, I assure you they shall do no such thing. There's limits to having people make up your mind for you. Rhun has certainly improved; I think this journey was the best thing that ever happened to him and someday he might even make a respectable sort of King. But as for being betrothed..." She stopped suddenly and looked at Taran. "Did you seriously think for a moment I would ever...? Taran of Caer Dallben," she cried angrily, her eyes flashing, "I'm not speaking to you!_

"_At least," Eilonwy added quickly, "not for a little while."_

Eilonwy stamped away in anger that everyone saw was quite dramatically faked. Taran smiled fondly after her as she walked away. How he would miss her.

"Hullo, hullo!" Rhun called out cheerfully, walking over to Taran with a broad grin. But Taran saw something in his cheerful face that was different than normal. The Prince of Mona seemed worried.

"Rhun, is everything all right?" Taran asked softly.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Rhun answered, trying his hardest to hide the concerned look.

"Rhun..." Taran said, almost in a whisper.

The Prince's smile slowly faded. "Well, it's just that I happened to hear your conversation with Eilonwy," he finally said very softly. "I feel I shouldn't have."

Taran groaned inside at the words he next forced painfully out of his mouth. "Rhun," he began, very slowly, "Eilonwy is a stubborn girl who likes to have her own way, but I'm sure that the wishes of your father and mother will be granted. You will make her a fine husband."

"Husband?" Rhun exclaimed. "Taran, you mistake my meaning!"

Taran could only stare at the young Prince with a confused face.

Rhun shook his head. "Best to begin at the beginning I suppose. Taran, I told you before that I wished to be the one to rescue Eilonwy. Well, that was true then. I wanted so much to prove that I could do something without messing up and ruining everything. I wanted to prove it to my father and mother and to the people of Mona. If I am to be king after all, I want everyone to be able to trust their king and know that I would be a good king, though I'm not sure of it myself."

"Rhun..." Taran began, but Rhun interrupted him.

"Please let me continue. I wanted to prove it to them, and to Eilonwy, and myself. Well, as I've told you before, there had been gossip all around the castle that I was soon to be betrothed. The second I saw Eilonwy I knew she was the one. So, I wanted to show her that I might be worthy of her, and it wouldn't be all that bad to be married to me."

Taran flinched at the word _married_ . It was hard for him to imagine any man being married to Eilonwy. Rhun saw the flinch and smiled sadly.

"You love her," the Prince of Mona continued softly. "I can see it. I've told you before, I'm not the cleverest person, but I can see that you do. And I can tell it's hard for you, leaving her here to be married to a bumbling prince."

Taran bowed his head in shame. Rhun knew more than he would have ever guessed.

"There was another reason I wanted to rescue Eilonwy." Rhun paused to look over at the golden haired princess who was helping load the horses. Taran followed the Prince's gaze and watching Rhun's face. Rhun sighed and looked back at Taran.

"I wanted to rescue the Princess Eilonwy because I love her."

Taran's head shot up. He looked at Rhun first with a look of amazement, then anger. How could Rhun love her? The feckless, ridiculous prince...

Taran stopped himself. Rhun had proved to be a better man than he on this trip and this _feckless_ prince was probably more deserving of Eilonwy than he. Rhun had paused to study Taran's reaction, and to Taran's utter surprise and bewilderment Rhun laughed.

"I'll admit," Rhun said, "that when I first saw Eilonwy I thought I did love her. Now I know I do."

Taran bowed his head again. "You will make her a fine husband."

"As I've said before Taran, you mistake my meaning," Rhun said softly. "I love the princess Eilonwy-as a _sister_."

Once again, Taran could only look at Rhun in confusion.

Rhun smiled. "I would die for her, because I love her as if she were my sister. I promise you now, Taran Assistant Pig-Keeper, I shall never marry Eilonwy."

"But what of your mother and father?" Taran asked, still not fully convinced.

Rhun laughed. "I will use Eilonwy's own answer and say that there are limits to having others make up your mind for you! Besides, if I am to be king I should start making decisions for myself. I think that who to marry is a decision that is especially important for me to make, and I shall never choose Eilonwy. I'll leave that to you," Rhun added with a wink.

Taran smiled and sighed. He could rest safe with Eilonwy at Dinas Rhydnant now without worrying about her being married.

"Amazing!" Rhun suddenly exclaimed.

"What is?" Taran asked in confusion.

"Love," Rhun answered with a broad smile.


End file.
